Researchers looked at 537 hospitals that voluntarily reported medication errors between 1999 and 2005. While non-ICU departments had most of the errors at 93.4 percent, the 6.6.percent of errors in ICUs were more likely to be harmful events.

Errors most often happen at the administration phase, with the most common mistake being an error of omission (not giving a patient a medication). Researchers noted most (98 percent) of errors don't lead to harm, but when they do, it's usually related to a dosage miscalculation or medical devices such as intravenous lines.

Lead study author Asad Latif, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the inaction (immediately after the event) was the most surprising part about the study. More than half of the time, no actions were taken after an error, Reuters reported. Only a third of the hospital staff who made the reported mistakes were immediately told about their errors.

The research may be disappointing news to transparency advocates. Hospitals, including University of Michigan Health System and Massachusetts General Hospital, are exploring disclosure policies, in which hospitals tell patients about mistakes and offer compensation, if necessary, to avoid malpractice suits and bring cases to a close more quickly.

Even if hospitals inform patients of medication errors while they're in the hospital, there's still the problem of medication errors at discharge. A Yale-New Haven Hospital study last month found that three out of four patients go home with the wrong prescriptions or don't understand their medications. Leora Horwitz, assistant professor medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, encouraged hospitals to better educate patients about their medications.

Amendment 8, US Constitution, 1791

Amendment 14, US Constitution 1868

Section. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Equal Under Law

What D Bunker is NOT:
D Bunker is Not African American.
D Bunker is Not Hispanic American.
D Bunker is Not a Jewish American.
D Bunker is Not a Gay American.
D Bunker is an American, Period. And this PO'd American has had 10 times more than twice too much of enough of Anyone claiming special rights for themselves over Anyone else. Far too many good men and women of all races, creeds and colors have given Everything and more to establish that None of Us are better than the Next of Us, AS LAW, to allow Any Ideology, especially one which is Wholly Smoke and Mirrors, to rule and ruin the lives of Any of us.